Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Last week was a difficult one for me. My oldest brother, Sam, died in Mississippi after a long illness with his heart. He had a beautiful military funeral. While I know that he is in heaven, it's hard to accept that another sibling is gone. If you look close in the photo, you'll see a cross and a charm around my neck. One is a Glacier National Park charm in memory of my brother, Gary and the cross in memory of my sister Gail and brother Orville. During those last weeks before Sam's death, I worked furiously to meet my deadline on book 3, knowing that his passing would be imminent. I completed the novel one week before he died. At the wake, many of his family and friends attended to give tribute to a life well lived. On either end of the room where my brother's casket lay, were TV screens, depicting his life through a video. I couldn't tear my eyes away from it and lingered a long time as the story of his life unfolded. It gave me a keener insight to a side of my brother's life that I hadn't seen before because I lived out of state. His wife, Olevia (no-it's not misspelled), had passed away 9 years before and he'd mourned her passing. Through his church, he became good friends with a sweet widow who lived down the country road from him. Frankie soon became the sunshine in his life while his heart steadily declined. Though a few years older than Sam, she was a constant cheerful presence in his life, though she had her own health issues.When Frankie arrived at the wake, we snapped this photo before she made it to the casket to view Sam. Through my tears, I had to chuckle. She's a girly girl like me, and was all decked out in mauve pink from top to bottom. She carried a pink handbag and wore pink little heels. She always dolled up for him when she came to visit. She'd had a recent fall that broke her back so I assisted her to view my brother, and she broke down. She said she wished it could have been her instead. My sister, Doris, reminded her that it would have been just as hard on him if it had been her lying there instead. As she clutched onto the side of the casket, I pointed out to her that he wore a mauve-pinkish shirt and gray suit that matched her outfit and she gave me a tender smile. She really loved him and he loved her. I'm grateful that she made the last years of his sick existence bearable.Which brings me full circle to ask this. What is love? God 's word gives us the definition in a nutshell from I Corinthians 13:4:Love is patientLove is kindIt does not envyIt does not boastIt is not proudLove believes all thingsHopes all thingsEndures all things and LOVE NEVER FAILS. Selah, (I added).My brother Sam had fought the good fight, he'd finished the race and kept the faith. I know there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day!--and not only to me, but also to those that have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:6.Though right now I feel dead in my heart, Christ is alive and working in me.

In my grief, I orginally wrote that my brother wore a pink suit! Yikes! That should have been shirt. He would've been horrified if y'all that he was in a pink suit. Sometimes, you just can't get it right, but I fixed the error.

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Southern Writers Magazine

Maggie Brendan: Belle of the Books Nov/Dec 2013 issue

A 4-Star Review!

The final book in the beautifully written Blue Willow Brides series centers on another Olsen sister, Anna. The characters are lovely, endearing and well thought out. The storyline flows evenly throughout the book with twists along the way. Brendan continues to give fans of historical romance everything they have come to expect, with the addition of some surprises they didn't see coming. --Romantic Times Review

PERFECTLY MATCHED

BOOK THREE

TWICE PROMISED

BOOK TWO

DEEPLY DEVOTED

BOOK ONE

From Romantic Times...

FROM ROMANTIC TIMES REVIEW- 4 stars

Two mail-order brides, one groom and a few misunderstandings collide in the second blue Willow Brides book. Brendan's characters are witty, charming and fun to be around, and she brings her trademark writing style to the Wild West.

Then Book summary:

In 1888 Central City, CO, Greta Olson is determined to be happy as a mail-order bride to Jess Gifford. Then she learns that another woman, Cora Johnson, has answered the same ad. She is certain Jess didn't place the ad. Jess knows that his brother, Zach, placed the ad and he's furious.

Zach and Jess will have to decide which woman each wants to marry-- but surprises await them when the women have their own opinions. --Patsy Glans

Praise for Deeply Devoted...

Maggie Brendan has done it again—stolen my heart with a love story that left me breathless. As gentle as a prairie breeze and as delicate as the Blue Willow china for which the series is named, Deeply Devoted is a tender and haunting tale that stirs heart and soul—deeply—well beyond the last page. -- Julie Lessman, Best Selling Author of Daughter of Boston series

Brendan, Maggie. Deeply Devoted. Revell. (Blue Willow Brides, Bk. 1). Sept. 2011. c.352p. ISBN 9780800734626. pap. $14.99. CF Instead of choosing the young lady his mother has picked for him, Peter Andersen sends to Amsterdam for a mail-order bride in this new series by Brendan (“Heart of the West” series). Catharine Olsen arrives in Cheyenne, WY, with her mother’s china and her two sisters in tow. Peter is patient not only with Catharine but with her sisters. However, as the two begin their life together on the wheat farm, Peter’s mother will go to any length to see her son’s marriage destroyed. VERDICT This novel should appeal to fans of Lori Wick who enjoy a gentle romance with a Western twist as well as those who like reading about cultural clashes. --LibraryJournal.com

BOOK 2 IN HEART OF THE WEST

BOOK 1 IN HEART OF THE WEST

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About Me

Maggie Brendan

Welcome and thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your interest in my books.

I can’t ever remember a time when I didn’t want to write. Each time I entered our small town library or school library, I’d breathed in the musky, smell and ink of books the way someone would sniffed perfume. I loved that I could be “somewhere” else in a manner of moments just from reading….so it was as natural as breathing for me to create stories. I wrote my 1st book The Silver Crown, in third grade when my sweet teacher saw me writing during my free time and supplied me with paper. Quickly, I wrote another story—Mystery at Nubbins Ridge in 5th grade, unpublished, of course! In 10th grade biology class, as school as I finished my projects, I handed them to my girlfriend to read for feedback.

I still have the first story written in my longhand with a green construction paper for binding, and it looks pitiful. Inspiration and encouragement came early on from my late brother Gary. He nudged me in to the world of writing. Under the pen name of Jess McCreede, Gary wrote seven novels. One of my greatest pleasures comes from finishing a book. Another joy is receiving feedback from readers who share with me how much they enjoyed my books, and their anticipation for the next one. My readers are wonderful blessings to me, and hearing such sweet words from them is what makes me strive to make each story better than the last.

Although I’m definitely a Southern Belle, I loved reading Zane Grey novels, and found myself curious about the state of Colorado and the West. When we were a young couple, my husband, three month old baby girl and I, relocated to Colorado for a better job opportunity. It was my dream to live out West. That’s how I came to be so fond of everything western! My books are definitely inspirational with a faith theme woven into all of my stories through the characters as they face life's decisions.

If my stories have blessed you or encourage you in your faith, please write to me or post a message on my blog.